Anna Dressed in Blood is a story told to us in the first person by a teenage boy named Cas who leads a life quite different from most teenagers. His life is steeped in the supernatural, surrounded by things that most people never see. Cas has followed in his late father’s footsteps to become a ghost hunter. Armed with his father’s knife, Cas travels around the world with his Wiccan mother and their ghost-detecting cat to hunt spectres who have become a danger to humans. His latest quarry takes him to Thunder Bay, Ontario. From the moment he first heard about the ghost known as Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas could tell there was something different about this case. The more he learns, the more he realizes that this is a ghost unlike anything he has ever encountered before.

I chose this book because of the cover, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Anna Dressed in Blood is an extremely well-written book that exceeded my expectations. I could see everything so clearly in my mind I felt like I was there, and it was done without any lengthy descriptions. Kendare Blake is a masterful storyteller who can use a few well chosen words to set a scene or convey a character. The narration gives readers a good sense of Cas, and the way he describes the world around him tells us just as much about his character. He is a very likeable protagonist whose tone injects some levity into some dark situations. All of the characters are realistic with their own sets of flaws and virtues. The pace is pretty fast moving with a good balance of action, dialogue, and description. It is a horror novel, with some mystery and romance added to the mix as well. Anna Dressed in Blood is a book that is a lot like the ghost it is named for: dark, beautiful, terrifying, and unexpected.

- Ashley Tielemans, Information Services

What We're Watching

Baskets: Season One

After being expelled from France’s most prestigious clown academy, Chip Baskets (Zach Galifianakis) returns home to Bakersfield, California with his new wife who only married him for a green card. With no employment prospects for his pantomime act as Renoir the Clown, Chip dejectedly accepts a job as a rodeo clown to pay the bills.

Chip is a bitter, unlikeable character who is hard to root for and the only thing that occasionally humanizes him is his interactions with his family: his annoying twin brother Dale (also played by Galifianakis) who runs a career college and is Chip’s rival; his mother, Christine Baskets (played outstandingly by Louie Anderson), whose endless chattering and constant denial about her husband’s death is downright endearing; and Chip’s only friend, Martha (Martha Kelly), a hilariously meek, emotional doormat who tolerates Chip’s negativity with awkward poise.

Created by Zach Galifianakis, Louie C.K. (Louie) and Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia), Baskets is a dark comedy that is sometimes so absurd it becomes unwatchable; but, if you enjoy strange humour and great acting, this heartfelt show pays off.

Remembrance Day is coming up soon, and the Royal Canadian Legion has started their Annual Poppy Fund drive, which donates funds to a variety of causes that support veterans, including donations to local hospitals. To learn more about the Poppy Fund, you can visit their website here.

The Legion will hold its annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Kitchener Cenotaph on November 11th, starting at 10:30am.

For many people, Remembrance Day brings memories of parents or grandparents who fought or contributed to war efforts in a variety of ways. Often, we wish we knew more about their stories – this is where Kitchener Public Library has a number of resources that preserve and document materials on local veterans!

KPL’s Grace Schmidt Room has indexes of Soldier Information Cards, which document details about many men and women who served in the First and Second World Wars. The GSR also has a photograph collection, of which some have been digitized. You can explore our digital collection here, which includes a collection of Waterloo County Soldier Portraits. For a complete index of all the photographs in the library’s collection, you can visit the Grace Schmidt Room at Central.

- Joseph, Information Services

The Library Made Me Do It

Feline Fashion

I never thought of myself as a person who would go about creating costumes for their cats in their spare time, but let me tell you I have caught the sewing bug! What started out as a simple search for sewing books to brush up on my skills in time for Halloween ended with the discovery of the book Making Clothes for Your Dog: How to Sew and Knit Outfits that Keep your Dog Warm and Looking Great. I do not have a dog (I am not a dog person); however, I do have two cats. This adorable book, my cats, and the fact that Halloween is approaching obviously meant that my fur children needed to be involved in the Halloween spirit.

The bug did not stop there. I left the Library with my supply of sewing books but something was missing. As I exited the Central branch I remembered that Studio Central has a green screen, and I then thought about how great it would to be to do a costumed photoshoot. I quickly brushed that thought aside as I can not bring my cats, as nice as they are, into the library to use said green screen. But, since the creative thoughts were already flowing, and I had made up my mind, I realized that KPL must have a multitude of books about Adobe Photoshop!

That's when I found myself taking measurements of my little fluffy boys, recycling some old sheets, and bringing to life the cosplay (or "costume play") dreams they definitely did not share with me. With some adjustments to a bathrobe pattern for dogs, a photoshoot, and the help of Adobe Photoshop, Jacob became Frodo Baggins on the way to Mordor. With the inspiration from a dog button-down and bowtie, as well as some Doctor Who backgrounds from the Internet, Charlie became the 11th Doctor saving the world from Daleks.

With a little free time, freecycling of some sheets, thread I already owned, and a trip to a craft store that cost me a total of $5.00, I have discovered an amazing hobby! The goal was to sew some Halloween pillowcases. Did I reach that goal? Not at all. Am I upset about that? Definitely not! The process was as wild as it was impulsive, but I will forever cherish what the library made me do.

-Kassandra Caporiccio, Information Services

Out Of The Archives

KPL Genealogy Fair

Calling all genealogists and family historians! Mark your calendars for Kitchener Public Library’s 6th Genealogy Fair on Saturday, April 21st, 2018 at the Central Library at 85 Queen Street North! It will be a free day-long event of learning, collaboration, and hopefully, the discovery of an ancestor or two!

Mags Gaulden of Grandma’s Genes (www.grandmasgenes.com) will be our keynote speaker. Mags is a professional genealogist and co-founder of Grandma’s Genes, based in Ottawa. She specializes in genetic genealogy, working with people who want to further their family knowledge using DNA – the newest frontier in genealogy research and family tree building. Mags is in a leadership role with WikiTree where she currently directs the DNA Project as well as the Canadian History, Ontario and British Columbia, United Empire Loyalist, British Home Children, US Southern Colonies and First Peoples of the World projects.

We’ll have workshops, exhibitors and vendors to help further your research. Program details will be posted in the Spring In Touch magazine and on the Genealogy Fair web page (www.kpl.org/genealogy-fair) in early 2018.

We hope to see you there!

If you have questions about the fair, please contact Karen Ball-Pyatt, Local History Librarian at karen.ball-pyatt@kpl.org

- Karen Ball-Pyatt, Local History Librarian

Kitchener Public Library85 Queen St. North Kitchener, Ontario N2H2H1519-743-0271http://www.kpl.org/